1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cutting tools, and in particular, to a portable cable stripper automatically adjustable so as to accommodate differently dimensioned jacketed cables.
2. Background of Technological Field
U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,417 (U.S. Pat. No. '417), which is commonly owned with the present application and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a cable stripper operative to accommodate a great variety of differently-dimensioned cables. However, the cable stripper disclosed in this patent has a complex structure associated with a relatively high manufacturing cost.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0055160 (PA '160), like US '417, is commonly owned with this application, herein incorporated by reference and discloses a cable stripper operative to provide jacket stripping for differently dimensioned cables. The configuration of the disclosed cable stripper is relatively simple and allows for an axial cut, i.e., along a cable, and a radial cut. The configuration further allows for a spiral cut of cable. However the spiral cut can be realized only by first dismounting the stripper from the cable to be processed and then fully disassembling the tool in order to manually displace the blade in the desired position. The disclosed cable stripper, thus, is inconvenient for producing a spiral cut and contradicts one of the advantages of this tool, i.e. its capability of changing the angular position of the blade without disengaging the cable stripper from the cable to be processed.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a cable stripper having a simple structure allowing for providing axial, radial and spiral cuts in a simple and efficient manner.